This invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting a vent tube on a clothes dryer to a duct system for removing water vapor from the clothes dryer. More particularly, it relates to the provision of a metal plate that includes an opening that is alignable with ducting in a wall behind the clothes dryer on which the plate is mounted, and a sheet of flexible magnetic material connected to the vent tube at the rear of the clothes dryer, and extending adjacent the back of the clothes dryer, whereby the clothes dryer can be pushed towards the wall and guided to move the magnetic sheet into coupling engagement with the metal plate on the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,328, granted Jun. 7, 1994, to Hugh R. Dawson sets forth a Background of The Invention which describes the difficulty of connecting the vent tube on a clothes dryer to a conduit which carries the venting water vapor away from the clothes dryer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,328 discloses a quick connect system which includes a ring of magnetic material that magnetically engages the vent tube on the dryer. Other known vent systems are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,915, granted Apr. 4, 1978, to Gizela Maternisk Rxc3xa8el Babacerowicz and Zdzialaw Maternisk; U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,948, granted Jun. 16, 1992 to Charles V. Anderson and Charles R. Kenrick (re-examination Certification B1 5,121,948, issued Oct. 29, 1999); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,468, granted Nov. 2, 1993, to Mariel Lebrun.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved quick-connect connection between the vent tube on a clothes dryer and ducting in a wall behind the clothes dryer that vents water vapor away from the clothes dryer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dryer vent connection that eliminates the flexible plastic or metal tubing that is normally used behind the clothes dryer and permits zero clearance installation of the clothes dryer.
The present invention includes providing a clothes dryer vent connector and seal that is characterized by a flexible, magnetic sheet body including an opening that is surrounded by the magnetic sheet body. A first end of a length of cylindrical tubing is connected to the magnetic sheet body about the opening. The tubing includes an open second end that is spaced outwardly from the magnetic sheet body. The tubing extends substantially perpendicular to the magnetic sheet body and is sized at its second end to receive the vent tube on a clothes dryer.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector and seal of the type described wherein the magnetic sheet body comprises magnetic material within a plastic matrix. In preferred form, the tubing is constructed from a flexible plastic material and its first end is bonded or otherwise secured to the magnetic sheet body.
The invention also includes providing a clothes dryer vent connection that includes a magnetic sheet body and connector tubing and a metal plate that is securable to a wall behind a dryer. The metal plate includes a vent opening that is surrounded by the metal plate. The metal plate is secured to a wall behind where the clothes dryer will set with its vent opening in alignment with vent ducting that is in the wall. The connector tubing is connected to a vent tube at the back of the clothes dryer. When it is so connected, the magnetic sheet body is in close proximity to the back of the clothes dryer. This allows the dryer to be moved towards the metal plate and the wall and guided as it is moved so as to move the magnetic sheet body into contact with the metal plate, and the opening in the magnetic sheet body into approximate alignment with a vent opening in the metal plate leading into vent ducting in the wall behind the clothes dryer. The clothes dryer is moved towards the wall until the magnetic sheet body becomes magnetically attached to the metal plate. This attachment provides a substantially sealed connection between the vent tube at the back of the clothes dryer and the opening into the vent ducting in the wall behind the clothes dryer.